The Train (John Frankenheimer, 1964)

• 18 Aug 11:38
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The Train is a 1964 war movie directed by John Frankenheimer from a story and screenplay by Franklin Coen and Frank Davis, based on the non-fiction book and Le front de l'art by Rose Valland. It stars Burt Lancaster, Paul Scofield and Jeanne Moreau.

Set in August 1944, the film sets Resistance-member Labiche (Lancaster) against German Col. von Waldheim (Scofield), who is attempting to ship art masterpieces from a French museum to Germany.

Art masterpieces looted by the German Army from French museums are being shipped to Germany; the officer in charge of the operation, Colonel Franz von Waldheim (Paul Scofield), is an art lover and is desperate to bring the art to Germany.

After the Germans remove the art chosen by Waldheim from the Jeu de Paume Museum, curator Mademoiselle Villard (Suzanne Flon) seeks help from the French Resistance. Given the imminent liberation of Paris by the Allies, they need only delay the train for a few days — still, it is an extremely dangerous operation and it must be done in such a way that does not risk damaging the priceless cargo.

Although the Resistance initially rejects the plan, the men have a change of heart after a cantankerous elderly engineer,...

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